Autonomous wellbore devices may be utilized to perform one or more operations within a wellbore conduit that extends within a subterranean formation. As an example, an autonomous wellbore device, in the form of an autonomous perforation gun, may be utilized to create one or more perforations within a wellbore tubular that defines the wellbore conduit. Generally, autonomous wellbore devices are pre-programmed prior to being released within the wellbore conduit and then are carried, or flowed, in a downhole direction within the wellbore conduit by a fluid stream and/or gravity. Within the wellbore conduit, downhole from a surface region, the autonomous wellbore devices then self-actuate responsive to a triggering event. As examples, the autonomous wellbore device may self-actuate responsive to being flowed through a target length of the casing conduit and/or responsive to reaching a target depth within the subterranean formation.
Autonomous wellbore devices generally are not capable of regulating and/or controlling a rotational orientation and/or a cross-sectional location thereof within the casing conduit. This fact may produce undesired, or unintended, consequences when an autonomous wellbore device actuates. As an example, and when the autonomous wellbore device is the autonomous perforation gun, the lack of control of the rotational orientation of the autonomous perforation gun may preclude the use of the autonomous perforation gun in wellbores that include structures that might be damaged by perforation thereof. Such structures may include cables, other wellbore devices, sensors, and/or other wellbore tubulars that may be present within the wellbore.
As another example, the lack of control of the rotational orientation of the autonomous perforation gun may preclude the ability to predetermine and/or specify an orientation of perforations that may be created in the wellbore tubular by the autonomous perforation gun. As yet another example, the lack of cross-sectional location control may cause the autonomous perforation gun to produce perforations of varying and/or irregular size, angle, and/or geometry. This may complicate stimulation and/or diversion operations that may utilize the perforations and/or subsequently need to seal the perforations. Thus, there exists a need for autonomous wellbore devices with orientation-regulating structures, as well as for systems and methods that may include and/or utilize the autonomous wellbore devices.